Um, Rosethorn?
by BobtheFrog
Summary: Briar Moss is tired of being followed or not allowed in markets because of the X tattooes from his past life. While near a tattoo stall, he gets an idea.This is the story of how Briar got his tatooes in "Street Magic".This is my first FanFic so please R


Disclaimer: Unfortunately I own nothing but the plot even though I feel like I own the characters as I have read the books so much I know them inside out. 

A/N: Sorry if Briar seems out of character in the middle. Just remember that this is not the first time he has been followed and he is really angry and frustrated.

A sigh escaped the lips of a thirteen year old boy, as he lifted his golden brown hands up for the guard to the Summersea Market Place to see. His gray-green eyes watched the man stiffen as he saw the two blue-black Xs tattooed on the web of skin between the thumb and first finger on the boy's hands. As the guard's mouth began to open, a woman in a dark green habit of the earth temple interrupted him.

"Briar Moss is with me and the girls. The lad hasn't stolen in three years otherwise he'd be dead from the most painful death I could have thought of," said Dedicate Rosethorn, Briar's teacher. She continued to glare at the guard as he stammered something about rules, duty, and needing to go somewhere. When he finally stopped, Rosethorn had already shouldered past him with Briar in tow. His foster sisters, Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, Trisana Chandler, and Daja Kisubo followed with Dedicate Lark bringing up the rear.

"Rosethorn-" started Briar.

"Never mind him Briar. Go have fun with the girls but be back at the Guild Clock by three sharp," said Rosethorn briskly as she gently shoved him onwards. Briar joined the girls as he stuffed his telltale hands as far down into his pockets as he could. It was so embarrassing that every market guard had the same reaction. If only he could rid himself of the tattoos.

Last year he had tried to cut them out with one of his many hidden knives but the girls had felt his intense pain through their magical bond and had told Lark. Briar shook his head at the memory of the sorrowful face of Lark as she saw his bloody hands and tear-streaked face.

"Come _on_ Briar," cried Tris impatiently. "I want to go to the book stall!" Briar sighed and picked up his pace to catch up with the others.

As he was looking in a copper stall with Daja, Briar saw three market guards watching him closely. "Daj', let's move to another booth. I want to see if I'm being tailed," whispered Briar.

"Sure Briar." Daja turned and started walking to a goldsmith's stall, three booths down and one over. As Briar followed her, he watched the guards. They followed silently.

"I can't _stand_ this anymore!" screamed Briar turning to face the guards. Daja watched in horror as her foster brother fell to his knees, his body heaving with silent sobs.

"_Saati_, this isn't like you! Come on, stand up and pull yourself together! They don't matter," Daja knelt beside him. "_Please_ Briar," she whispered. It was scary to see him fall apart like this. Briar never let his sad emotions or anger show willingly.

"Why can't they just leave me alone?" asked Briar, his voice dangerously low. Daja sat up in alarm as all the green life in the stalls and the pathway strained to reach Briar. "No," cried Briar. "I won't let you get hurt." He stood up and ran with his hands over his ears as if to stop himself from hearing the plants' pleads to help. Daja sat there staring after Briar, wondering whether or not she should follow as she ignored Sandy and Tris's cries for an explanation of what was happening with Briar.

Briar ran as he slammed down the doors to his magical connections with the others. Dodging people, animals and children, he managed to shake of his three guards without even trying. Making sure his knives were ready, Briar slipped into a dark entrance at the edge of the market. He knew this was where illegal sales of drugs, weapons, and services were made but he didn't care. He wandered around until he came to an area that looked less forbidding. There was a man sitting down with his arm out. The booth keeper came forward with a needle. Briar watch in a horrid fascination as the needle proceeded to draw a snake on the man's arm.

"What do you use to make them lines?" called Briar.

Without faltering the man replied, "Vegetable dyes or henna. Now be off if you're not buying." Briar turned to return to the Guild Clock as he suddenly got a brilliant idea.

* * *

"Are you all right Briar?" asked Sandry. "You seem quite, do you want to talk?" Briar was sitting in the middle of the floor at their cottage home, Discipline, staring into space.

"What? Oh, no thanks Duchess. I'm just thinking about something."

"Well, if you're sure…?"

"Yah, I'm fine." Briar stood up stretching and started towards Rosethorn's workroom. "Oh, um, could I maybe borrow a needle?"

"I guess. What's it for?"

"Ah, it's for…a surprise." Briar grinned mischievously. Sandry went into her room smiling and returned with a gleaming silver needle. "Thanks Sandry." Briar went into Rosethorn's workshop.

He paused as he reached for the jar containing the vegetable dye. Maybe he should tell Rosethorn about his plan. What if something went wrong? He'd worked with vegetable dyes before and nothing had happened…why should this be different? Briar picked up the jar and opened the seal. He dipped the needle into the dye. Gently, he closed his mind to the girls so he wouldn't give himself away like the last time. Taking one big breath, he stuck the needle into his hand.

* * *

"You did WHAT?" Briar tried to shrink away from his teacher. "Don't you dare try to run from me, young man," snapped Rosethorn. "Shouldn't you know by now that you aren't like everyone else? How could you be so thickheaded as to think that vegetable, VEGETABLE Mila of the Grain, that _vegetable_ dye wouldn't react to your _green_ magic!" shouted Rosethorn.

"Rosie, you need to calm down!" said Lark softly. The dedicate, Niko and the three girls had to come see what the uproar was about. "_What_ is going on here?"

"That…_idiot_ decided to tattoo his hands with VEGETABLE dye!" screamed Rosethorn.

"I thought it would cover my Xs!" cried Briar with ignition.

"Did it?" asked Niko gingerly. Briar brought his hands out from behind his back. Everyone but Briar and Rosethorn stared. A huge viney mass of green leaves covered his hands from under his fingernails up to his wrists. "Ah," said Niko.

"Oh my," whispered Lark.

"At least you can't see the Xs anymore," Sandry pointed out. "Not that the guards will stop looking at your hands."

"You really did yourself in this time thief boy," stated Daja.

"Can you fix it? It's so messy it looks like a jungle!" cried Tris.

"It seems that the vegetable dyes, under the influence of his plant magic, tried to create bodies for themselves and grew until there was no more room. Who knows if it will ever go away?" Niko said calmly.

"Eek! They moved!" shrieked Tris as she watched with fascination at a blooming bud. Rosethorn traced an ivy vine with a finger. The ivy rippled beneath her touch. She sighed.

"Briar…I guess you now don't have a reason for not being let into a market," Rosethorn tried unsuccessfully to conceal a smile. "Congratulations." The residents cheered as Briar blushed and grinned sheepishly.

A/N: So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to Pacific Rose for all the wonderful tips and encouragement while editing. So take the time to review please!


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